spencer r



Aug. 12, 1930. c. H. SPENCER I 17,770

METHOD OF BUILDING STORAGE RESERVOIRS IN DESERT COUNTRIES Original Filed July 5, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 12, 1930. c. H. SPENCER Re. 17,

METHOD OF BUILDING STORAGE RESERVOIRS IN DESERT GOQNTRIES Original Filed July 5, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

R3 6. 17 Spencer Y \\Q v K n L ATTOR EY.

Aug. 12, 1930. c. H. SPENCER Re. 17,

METHOD OF BUILDING STORAGE RESEHVOIRS IN DESERT COUNTRIES Original Filed July 5, 1924 s Sheets-Sht s I N VEN TOR.

MN 5 R ATTORNEY.

Reissued Aug. 12, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES H. SPENCER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

METHOD OF BUILDING STORAGE RESERVOIRS IN DESERT COUNTRTES Original No. 1,640,099, dated August 23, 1927, Serial No. 724,435, filed July 5, 1924. Application for reissue filed March 19, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in earth fill dams, and the method of constructing the same. a

This method has to do primarily with the construction of earth fill dams of the gravity type, situated in such advantageous locations that they may impound a considerable quantity of water behind artificial or natural Walls, and into which locations there is a 19 considerable drainage or run-ofi' area. The

construction of these dams is, therefore, primarily forthe purpose of forming reservoirs, into which water will naturally flow and acq I cumulate at or after times of precipitation. Lb and from which such water may be drawn by artificial or natural means for beneficial use (in the immediate vicinity or elsewhere) as domestic or stock water purposes, irrigation,

etc.

20 Earth fill dams of the type mentioned above have been in use especially throughout the semi-arid Western States, and the necessary fundamental principles of design are well known, such as the relationship of base dimension to top dimension for stability, etc. However, these dams have not generally been successful, due primarily to either one of two causes, namely: failure of the bases due to the buoyancy of the water, or

failure of the entire structure of the dam, or in some cases, some'particular part of it,

- thereby resulting in subsequent complete failure through the well known solvent acincorporated in the material of which the dam is built. Therefore in many cases the gradual infiltration of water impounded be hind an earth fill dam of the gravity type has dissolved these soluble substances so that the entire structure is so weakened that it can no longer withstand the pressure of the impounded water. In other cases fissures have opened where soluble material occurred in 0 spots only, thereby gradually weakening the dam until failure resulted.

In the semi-arid States of the est, where the practice of constructing earth fill gravity dams for the purpose of impounding water is most prevalent, almost invariably material available for filling contains a greater.

., tion of the water upon the soluble substances Serial No. 348,332.

or less percentage of soluble substances. At

times these substances may run as high as 50% per unit volume; at other times a smaller percentage is present. At any time the presence of solubles constitute a menace.

Filling material taken from stream bottoms usually contain the least percentages of these soluble substances, due to the fact that the action of the water running over such material has dissolved and carried the.

marked extent. 1

' Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a method whereby an earth filled dam may be constructed in which all of the fill material may be washed in water so that the soluble substances may be dissolved and removed therefrom.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple and improved method whereby such material may be washed and easily placed at the desired location in building the dam.

A further object of the invention vide an improved dam.

Other objects willbe apparent from the following description taken in connection is to prowith the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a perspective View of a dam site, the view being taken looking up stream and showing the dam in the preliminary stages of construction.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, the dam being shown in an advanced stage of construction.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the dam under construction.

Fig. 4: is a diagrammatic view of apparatus for transporting earth fill material mixed with Water over considerable distances.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters I have shown a sump 10 which is in the bed of a suitable stream adjacent to the dam site. The first step in constructing. the improved dam is tosink the sump 10 untilbed rock or a hard impervious layer encountered. A suitable air lift, generally indicated at 11, is placed inthesurhio '10, such air lift being provided with asui-tableair pipe .12.and

a discharge pipe '13. V

. y provide-a suitable power :unit generally designated at P, having a suitable source'of power such as a gasoline motor or its equiva- -"lent' designated :at I 14, -1 which :may be used'lto operate arsuitable aireompressor ilt supplymg compressed air through theiair pipe l2 to the lift 11. lvaterfis placed in thersump .10,

andthe walls ArantliBofithe streamiare -excavatedto provide buttresses forithe dam. I preferably perform such excavating what is known as ihydraulicking, :as shown :in Fig.

1, ialth'oughtithis \p'roeedure issnot absolutely ':also used. In order to wash'd wmthmmatenecessary. "Whereth'e" excavating: is I done .by :hydra-uliclring,wthe aaarth from the ESlClG'ES or "walls A andiB (Ifilt'llB :stre'amiis'washeldsinto the sump 1Q. @If? the .excavatingtis performed sin some other ananner, limerelyssupply water in thesump 1'0 and"dnmplthexniaterial excavated from; the walls.. A.:and EB into the? sump d0wvhiehiisikeptffull'ofwater. .The .waterrin zthei-sump. lOItogether with thematerial :from the sides :orrwalls. A. and B which. is held, in

suspensiomfis; raisedin the discharge pipe 1'3 wand carried rtoxa: "point preferably up stream provide temporary structure or dam, indi- .waterlifted from the-sump ,10 by .the dis- .c'harge ipipe 91-3 is placed. a .The excavation 'iprovided"forthe'body oflthe dam is lowered. to the depthof the sump lO orzin other words,

down to bed rock, or ltU :some equivalent .istrata- A Referring now more specifically to .:Fiig...:2,

when the excavation rfOI' the body ofwthe dam :is completed,tforms .F are placed thereinand a suitable basin 17 is provided, preferably upon one or the :banks'or walls of ithe-stream',

herein shown as being rupon .thebankyll in iwhiehelay'andwatersare placed. The .air lift ililywhich was.previouslyiemployed, islnow LHSGCl'LtO convey :theclay and waterfromlthe ib'asinr17 tothe:bottomwfthe excavation for the dam. This is to provide a puddled I clay bottom 18:0nthebottom ofthe excavationor trench which will cling tenaciously'to the ifoundation, preventing seepagewof ground *Water or "under flowpand behea-vyenough to counteract the upward thrust due to th-e bu'oyan't eifect of'fthe water.v As shownin Fig. 2, a

with it the soluble substances stances have-been washed. Ata point somewhatup stream from the dam, a second sump 20 isprovided and is filled with water by any suitablemeans,'it"being understood that the water from the stream maybe used for this purpose. However, as is the case in the semiarid Western-States, the streams drynprdur- *ingthe summer months during which dam construction may be desirable,watermayha-ve to beprovi'ded by other 'sources"'for the sump 26. Fill material from the bottom of '1 the stream bed is washed into the sump,"zsuchzma- 'teria'l, "as has been previously rst'atedyiheing generally lowrin percentage of .solubleimaterial. That material which 'was previously "excavated inbuildingth'e' trenchforithe dam "and placed behind the temporary dam 16, is

rial herein idesignatedatzQl,=into thesumpxiZO, I provide suitable electric rm'otorss'22 having Water tight rcases i'adapted rto drive "propellers :28," which continuallycirculate the "water'in the sumpQO and inthe stream bed, oau-singrthe "filhmateri al to be completely washed and settled into the sump in asom-ewhatfinly-divided state. The, motors 22 which are pro- Vided with watertight cases; have theinsource of power in the power unit P, WhGIBlH'rthB jwgasoli-nerm otor l ltmay also heul'sedto-tdrive anvelectric generator 24 connected by :SUllllivable cables or conduitsli25 to the electric.-mog-tors' 22. I

cated at 16, at a point locatedup SliEBfllhil OlIl "the dam .site, wherein the material off the .The airlift 1 1- is -:removed from basin '1-7 and *lowereddnto the sump 20,;and the "water andfill;materialsettledltherein islraised and poured. into the dam between the forms 1F, until the-trenchiis completelyfilled. .ltds

itorbe understood that the forms .F .are not water proof, but "are provided with suitable material betweenithe forms-F, and carrying It is to'be appreciated that rthe portion of 'the discharge'pipe 12 below the surface iofcthe water in the sump must be twice as :gIBiLtFfiS the lengthiof the -,disoharge pipe12 extenda ing above the surface of the water. In other words-theactual lift above thesurface ofthe water inthe sump is only one-halfasgreat-as the submerged portionoft'he pipe.

It is to be understoodthat ludonotl-li-mit myself to' the use of water alone for dissolving soluble I substances from the .fill. material. In some cases; where the fill material which :has incorporated therein "substances, suchias certain alkalies --which-are only slightly gsoluincorporated in thefill material. r

ble in Water but exceedingly soluble in acids, it may be found desirable to place acid in the water, or salts, giving a decidedly acid reaction which will facilitate dissolving these alkalies.

In other cases, it may be found desirable to introduce dry cement, gypsum, or equivalent binding materials, into the water in the sump, thereby giving a harder and firmer earth structure.

The forms F are allowed to stay in place until the water poured between them has been allowed to completely escape, carrying with it the soluble substance, and the fill material is allowed to shrink and settle. They are then removed and the space which they occupy is filled with earth, preferably, from which the soluble substances have been washed.

Fig. 4 illustrates .the method of transporting the water and fill material for considerable distances. A plurality of sumps 30 are provided at convenient distances apart and an air lift 31 is inserted into each sump. Each air lift 31 raises the fill material and water from the sump 30 and conveys it to the next adj acentsump 30. In this manner the water and fill material may not only be carried for considerable horizontal distances, but may be stepped up so that it may be raised to a considerable altitude.

As an alternative means of lifting the mixture of earth and water from the stream bed into the forms or removing the earth and Water when excavating the trench, or in transferring the clay and water from the basin 17 into the forms, I may employ a sluicing box having a round bottom, or a pipe in which are rigidly secured propellers at convenient distances apart adapted to lift the water and silt. These propellers are rotated by motors within water tight cases, and when the fill material and water are to be lifted a considerable distance, consecutive propellers may rotate in opposite directions so as to counter act the swirling or corkscrew action of the water. The power used for operating these motors may be derived from the power unit designated by the reference character P upon the drawings.

It is seen that a method is provided wherein an earth structure may be" constructed in which the major portion of the soluble matter incorporated in the fill material is removed by washing. The structure is produced by pouring earth mixed with water or a dis solving agent within forms and allowing the water or dissolving agent to drain oif, carrying with it the soluble material. Although the method disclosed herein has been illustrated and described in connection with building earth fill dams, it may be employed with equal advantage in constructing other earth structures, such as roads, dikes, railway fills, and the like, wherein it is desirable to have all soluble matter removed from the fill material. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The method of constructing earth fill dams comprising erecting forms across a stream bed, providing a sump in said stream bed, disentegrating the material of said stream bed and impelling it into said sump by impeller means positioned below the surface of the water in said stream, elevating said mixture from said sump and pouring it into said forms and allowing the water to drain off.

2. The method of constructing an earth fill dam which consists of forming a trench across a stream bed, erecting forms insaid trench, providing a. sump in said stream bed below the surface of said stream bed, mixing earth containing solubles with water in said stream bed, thoroughly agitating said mixture to cause the water to dissolve said solubles and forcibly impelling said mixture into said sump, elevating said mixture out of said sump and poring it into said forms, allowing the Water to drain off and the fill material to dry and then removing said forms.

3. The method of constructing an earth filled dam which consists of forming a trench across the stream bed, erecting perforate forms in the trench, providing an impervious bottom in the forms, hydraulicking the material from the adjacent stream bed into the forms on top of the impervious bottom, and allowing the water from the mixtures to drain oil through the forms removing with it any solubles which may be in the material.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my slgnature.

CHARLES H. SPENCER. 

